Winter storm warnings extend from northern Georgia to Maine as the system moves on Sunday.
Although this system is not the most normal record that dumped 18-36 inches in all regions last week, it will still have an impact in some places.
An interesting possibility to note is that Boston may end up receiving more than three times what it received from the previous nor’easter. As of now, the forecast indicates 3-6 inches for the city on Sunday, far more than the 1.2 inches the city received during the last storm.
How much snow is uncertain
There is still some uncertainty about the exact amount of snow that the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will obtain from this system.
“The factors that can limit snowfall with this system are the speed with which the storm tracks the coast, and also how close to the coast the storm tracks,” said CNN meteorologist Haley Brink.
“If the system tracks further from the coast, the heavier precipitation will be over the Atlantic. If the storm hits the coast, the heavier snow streaks can directly impact several cities on the I-95 corridor.”
Speed is an important factor with this storm compared to the previous one on Monday.
“If this coastal low rises up the coast quickly, it will limit the amount of time the snow has to accumulate,” said Brink.
In most parts of New Jersey, Connecticut and eastern New York, snow will begin on Sunday around sunrise and end near sunset. The storm is forecast to fall 6 to 10 inches in that time period, which is several inches less than the previous storm.
For the regions of the Middle Atlantic and the southern Appalachians, the main concern is the freezing mark. These regions will experience mixed rain and snow, so even a slight temperature change will alter the amount of snow accumulations seen from northern Georgia to Washington, DC.
Strong winds combined with heavy snowfall will reduce visibility in many of these locations.
Other impacts of this storm will include dangerous driving conditions, as well as power outages.
The snow is here to stay
The cooler air of the season is expected to pass through much of the lower 48 states in the coming days.
It is estimated that more than 40 million people in the contiguous United States will see sub-zero temperatures in the next seven days. The coldest temperatures will occur in the central United States, with the weather service predicting extremely cold temperatures and dangerous chills in the northern plains and upper Midwest this weekend.
From Sunday to Thursday, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Detroit will see high temperatures of 15 to 20 degrees below normal, keeping them below zero for almost an entire week.
Much of the Great Lakes region and the interior of New England will also remain below zero for much of next week. This means that snow that falls on Sunday is likely to remain there.
“Expect dangerous travel conditions on Sunday, with freezing snow and ice on untreated roads and surfaces on Monday morning,” according to the Weather Forecast Center.